Arrays – lists

Java programming

Tobias Andersson Gidlund

tobias.andersson.gidlund@lnu.se

Department of Computer Science

Arrays – lists 1(26)
 About arrays

▶ An array is the built in and primitive way in Java to create lists.

▶ In Java, arrays are fixed sized lists of a specific data type.
▶ This means that the array is initialised for a specific size and the size cannot be
changed after this.
▶ It can also just contain elements of one, and only one, data type such as integer or
float.
▶ More dynamic lists are available in the Java library, but need to imported.
▶ This includes ArrayList and LinkedList covered in another lecture.
▶ A list can be of different dimensions, that is for example two or three dimensional.
▶ Useful for constructing tables or representing 3D objects.

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 The data type list

▶ Model:
A list can be seen as a binder.
▶ You can browse it, look in, remove or add sheets.
▶ The binder can be empty, but the binder is still there.
▶ A model can be seen as a sequence of elements:
√
(♣, , ♠, ♯, ♣, ♭)
▶ The parenthesis is not part of the list, but rather represents the list itself.
▶ It shows the start and end of the list.

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 Organisation of the list

▶ A list is an ending number of linearly arranged elements.

(a1 , a2 , a3 , . . . , an )
▶ It would be possible to think of an unending list, but this is not possible for a
computer.
▶ This should not, however, be confused with known number of elements, some of the
list data types can handle unknown number of elements.
▶ The order of elements is defined in a before-after relation:
▶ The list has a first and a last element.
▶ All elements, except the last, has a unique subsequent element.
▶ All elements, except the first has a unique predecessor.

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 Organisation, cont.

▶ A list is a list of type, for example integers or persons.

▶ This means that the list is an ordered sequence of elements of a certain type.
▶ The list is, with other words, homogeneous.
▶ Examples of lists are:
▶ Lists of integers.
▶ Strings (lists of characters).
▶ Person register (list of persons)
▶ Pig register (list of pigs).
▶ …

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Arrays – lists 5(26)
 The list type array

▶ As stated, the most primitive of list types in Java is the array

▶ It is only available in memory and does not have a graphical representation.
▶ A “ordinary” variable has a name, a type and a content.

30 int age;

▶ We use the variable as a “container” for a certain data type.

▶ The variable can then be used as the data type.
▶ Integers can be added, subtracted and so on.

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 “Larger” variables

▶ The array type can be seen as a “larger” variable.

▶ That is, it can contain more than one value.
▶ Every part of the array must be of the same data type.
▶ An example could be that every part is of integer type.
▶ The parts are called elements (or components).
▶ An array can be seen as a list of the same kind of elements.
▶ It can be visualised as follows:

45 53 64 12 33 12 Integer array
0 1 2 3 Length - 2 Length - 1 Element index

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Arrays – lists 7(26)
 Concepts

▶ An array is a numbered collection of elements of the same kind

▶ Each element is of the same data type as the others.
▶ An integer array consists only of integers.
▶ Each element in the array has an index number – it is numbered.
▶ In Java the numbering starts with zero.
▶ The first element is therefore number zero, the second one is number one and so on.
▶ When working with an array, it is still just one variable to work with.
▶ Differentiate therefore between the content and the index number.

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Arrays – lists 8(26)
 Creating an array
▶ An array is an object and needs to be created as such using new.
double[] rain = new double[7];

▶ Here an array of length seven is created that can contain only decimal numbers.
▶ The different elements in the array can be accessed using the index:
rain[0] = 22.5;

▶ The values can also be read using the same approach:

System.out.println(rain[3]);

▶ Notice that it is up to you as a programmer to make sure you are within the index
range when you read or set the values.

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Arrays – lists 9(26)
 Complete example
package lecture8;

public class Rain {

public static void main(String[] args) {
double[] rain = new double[7];

rain[0] = 22.5;
rain[1] = 3.4;
rain[2] = 10.5;
rain[3] = 0.3;
rain[4] = 3.14; Output:
rain[5] = 2.3;
rain[6] = 22.6;
0.3
System.out.println(rain[3]); The avarage rain fall is 9.248571428571427

double sum = 0.0;

for(int i = 0; i < 7; i++)

sum += rain[i];

System.out.println("The avarage rain fall is " +

,→ (sum/7.0));
}
}

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Arrays – lists 10(26)
 Faster initiation

▶ An array can be created for any data type, including classes (as we will look more
into later).
▶ If, at the time of creation, the elements are know, the array can be initiated directly.
▶ Put the initiated values in curly brackets at the initiation.
▶ Notice that the size is not needed when initiating with values, as it can be deduced
by the number of values.
int[] siffror = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6};

▶ Also notice the semi colon at the end, it is needed.

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Arrays – lists 11(26)
 Example
package lecture8;
import java.util.Random;

public class FastSentence {

public static void main(String[] args) {
Random rnd = new Random();
String[] p = {"I", "You", "He", "She", "It", "We", "They"};
String[] v = {"eat(s)", "squash(es)", "pull(s)", "push(es)", "hug(s)", They lift(s) a pen
,→ "kill(s)", "lift(s)", "blow(s)"};
String[] n = {"a pen", "a whale", "a friend", "a pig", "a robot", "a She eat(s) a pig
,→ book", "a film", "a candle"}; I pull(s) a pen
It push(es) a whale
int valp = 0; int valv = 0; int valn = 0;
We kill(s) a book
for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
valp = rnd.nextInt(p.length);
valv = rnd.nextInt(v.length);
valn = rnd.nextInt(n.length);
System.out.println(p[valp] + " " + v[valv] + " " + n[valn]);
}
}
}

Department of Computer Science

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 Length and iteration

▶ The length of an array is given by the property length (as seen in the previous
example).
▶ One of the most common errors for arrays is ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException
▶ One key insight is that the last index is always one less than the size:
max_index = array_name.length - 1;

▶ To fully understand how arrays work, we recommend that you try to do exercises
like calculating the sum, finding the largest, shift position and many more.

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 Example – finding smallest value
package lecture8;

public class FindingLowest {

public static void main(String[] args) {
int[] numbers = {2, 5, 3, 6, 1, 5, 9};

int min = numbers[0];

for(int i = 0; i < numbers.length; i++) {

if(numbers[i] < min) Here are the numbers:
min = numbers[i];
} 2 5 3 6 1 5 9
System.out.println("Here are the numbers: "); Smallest number was 1
for(int j = 0; j < numbers.length; j++)
System.out.print(numbers[j] + " ");

System.out.println();

System.out.println("Smallest number was " +

,→ min);
}
}

Department of Computer Science

Arrays – lists 14(26)
 A more comfortable for

▶ There is another, simpler, form of iteration for arrays (and other lists).
▶ It is called foreach iteration even if the keyword is for…
▶ Example:
for(double s: snow) {
sum += s;
}

▶ Can be read as “for each double s in snow”.

▶ Positive with this is that you do not need to keep track of the index number.
▶ Negative is that you cannot do anything else but step through the array.

Department of Computer Science

Arrays – lists 15(26)
 Example
package lecture8;

public class ConvenientFor {

public static void main(String[] args) {
double[] snow = {3.14, 5.2, 5.5, 3.2, 2.54, 4.24, 3.14};

double sum = 0.0;

for(double s: snow) {
sum += s;
}

double averageSnow = sum / 7.0;

System.out.println("Average snow: " + averageSnow);

}
}

Average snow: 3.8514285714285714

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 Copying arrays

▶ It is not entire natural how to copy an array to another.

▶ The first is to know that it is a difference between the array and the content of the
array.
▶ A simple assignmnet just sets the array to point to the other array.
▶ This means that if the content is changed in one of them, it is also changed in the
other.
▶ If the array to the left had a value before the assignmnet, then this is now gone.
▶ The garbage collector in Java will remove it from memory.

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Arrays – lists 17(26)
 package lecture8;
public class CopyParty {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String[] sentence1 = {"I", "am", "Anakin"};
String[] sentence2 = {"We", "drive", "a starship"};

for(String s: sentence1)
System.out.print(s + " ");
System.out.println();

for(String s: sentence2) I am Anakin

System.out.print(s + " ");
System.out.println(); We drive a starship
sentence2 = sentence1; I am Anakin
for(String s: sentence2) I am Darth Vader
System.out.print(s + " ");
System.out.println(); I am Darth Vader
sentence2[2] = "Darth Vader";

for(String s: sentence1)
System.out.print(s + " ");
System.out.println();

for(String s: sentence2)
System.out.print(s + " ");
}
}
Department of Computer Science
Arrays – lists 18(26)
 Ways to copy an array

▶ If you really want to do a value copy of an array, there are three ways to do that:
▶ Copy each element.
▶ Use copyOf in Arrays.
▶ the method clone.
▶ Next example will show how to copy each element manually.
▶ You should also have a closer look at copyOf.
▶ Another, not as recommended way, is to use arraycopy in System.

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Arrays – lists 19(26)
 package lecture8;

public class CopyArray {

public static void main(String[] args) {
char[] greek = new char[] {'Z', 'e', 'u', 's'};
char[] nordic = new char[4];

for(char c: greek){
System.out.print(c);
}
System.out.println();
for(int i = 0; i < greek.length; i++) {
Zeus
nordic[i] = greek[i];
}
Zeus
for(char c: nordic) {
System.out.print(c);
Oden
}
System.out.println();
Zeus
nordic[0] = 'O'; nordic[1] = 'd'; nordic[2] = 'e'; nordic[3] = 'n';

for(char c: nordic) {
System.out.print(c);
}
System.out.println();
for(char c: greek){
System.out.print(c);
}
}
}

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Arrays – lists 20(26)
 Multidimensional arrays

▶ The arrays shown so far have only had one dimension.

▶ Which basically means it is a list.
▶ An array can, however, have as many dimensions as you like.
▶ Two dimensions is common.
▶ Three is not uncommon, not the least as we see the world in three dimensions.
▶ Larger dimentions than that are uncommon, but difficult to “see”.
▶ Though not impossible and can be seen as different “layers”.
▶ The concept is the same in the programming language.

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 Two dimensional arrays

▶ The most common form after one-dimensional arrays.

▶ Much of what we see is two dimensional:
▶ Chess boards
▶ Spreadsheets
▶ Two dimensional arrays are sometimes called tables.
▶ There is also a close connection between two dimensional arrays and nested loops.
▶ Java does not have “true” multidimensional arrays but use arrays-in-arrays.

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Arrays – lists 22(26)
 Declaration

▶ Declaration specifies the number of rows and columns.

▶ In that order.
▶ Each dimension is shown with a new set of brackets.
▶ Example:
int[][] array2D = new int[3][2];

▶ In this case, a new array is created with three rows with two columns – in each
“cell” there is an int.
▶ Notice that in Java it is allowed, but not recommended, to put the brackets with the
variable instead of with the data type.

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Arrays – lists 23(26)
 package lecture8;
public class Simple2D {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int[][] array2D = new int[3][2];

array2D[0][0] = 8;
array2D[0][1] = 16;
array2D[1][0] = 32;
array2D[1][1] = 64; 8 16
array2D[2][0] = 128; 32 64
array2D[2][1] = 512;
128 512
for(int i = 0; i < array2D.length; i++) {
for (int j = 0; j < array2D[i].length; j++) {
System.out.print(array2D[i][j] + " ");
}
System.out.println();
}
}
}

Department of Computer Science

Arrays – lists 24(26)
 Another example
package lecture8;
public class Init2D {
public static void main(String[] args) {
double[][] temperature = {
{11.2, 12.0, 12.9, 17.0, 13.4, 17.0, 20.5},
{19.0, 20.5, 21.5, 16.0, 16.0, 13.5, 10.9},
{15.0, 15.5, 17.0, 19.0, 20.1, 24.0, 22.5},
{17.0, 17.5, 20.5, 21.0, 21.5, 23.0, 20.5}
};

System.out.println("Monday\tTuesday\tW-day\tT-day\tFriday\tS-day\tSunday");

for(int i = 0; i < temperature.length; i++) {

for(int j = 0; j < temperature[i].length; j++) {
System.out.print(temperature[i][j] + "\t");
}
System.out.println();
}
}
}

Monday Tuesday W-day T-day Friday S-day Sunday

11.2 12.0 12.9 17.0 13.4 17.0 20.5
19.0 20.5 21.5 16.0 16.0 13.5 10.9
15.0 15.5 17.0 19.0 20.1 24.0 22.5
17.0 17.5 20.5 21.0 21.5 23.0 20.5

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 Summary

▶ Arrays is the primitive, built-in, way to create lists in Java.

▶ In Java, arrays must be created with a fixed size and for one single data type.
▶ Each element in an array can be accessed using index numbers.
▶ Starting from zero.
▶ Arrays can have more dimensions than one, for example two or three.

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